Beijing 2014: Updated MINI Paceman makes world premiere

AUTO NEWS

Becomes the first ever Sports Activity Coupe in the premium compact segment.

by Eric Tipan

April 23, 2014 08:03

The updated MINI Paceman was launched at the 2014 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition featuring an ‘excitingly athletic and elegant design’. This new model comes with striking aesthetic upgrades inside and out.

And to ensure that its looks translate to performance, it comes with an all-wheel drive system to let you be as sporty on and off the road.

The exterior is as ‘expressive’ as a MINI can get. It exudes youth, confidence and a certain sense of sportiness. For the first time ever in the MINI, the rear lights have been arranged horizontally on the new Paceman.

The radiator grille varies with every Paceman trim. The updated MINI John Cooper Works Paceman for example will have a red horizontal radiator grill rib while others will have different contours and grid structure.

Doors are longer, a la coupe style and there’s an option for the Piano Black Exterior on the headlamps, rear lights and areas that used to sport the standard chrome finish. It will come with new and lighter 17-inch alloy wheels that come with the new 5-Star Triangle Spoke Design while the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman will come with 18-inch light alloy wheels in Twin Spoke Black Burnished Design. Additional rims are optionally available for the updated MINI Paceman in the sizes 17, 18 and 19 inches.

The MINI Paceman also levels up to LED fog lights including parking and daytime driving lights in LED technology.

Designed as a 4-seater, the MINI Paceman comes with sports seats in front with 2 single seats in the rear that offer a ‘lounge character’ by offering armrests.

Inside, the dials now offer an ‘anthracite’ hue and comes in the same style at the MINI John Cooper Works Paceman along with chrome applications for the ventilation controls.

The rear backrests can be folded down individually expanding the luggage volume from 11.7 to as much as 38.1 cubic feet.

There is also a Sport Button to make certain driving characteristics more aggressive and sporty including the engine sound in the MINI Cooper S Paceman.

On the cutting edge, MINI offers an in-car infotainment program that works with the Radio MINI Visual Boost and the MINI navigation system. Called MINI Connected, it offers vehicle-specific functions like Mission Control, Dynamic Music, Driving Excitement and MINIMALISM Analyzer while extending the smartphones’ versatility in the cabin by hooking up to its music library and sharing its online connectivity. Operation is intuitive and typically MINI in style via the on-board computer in the central instrument, the MINI Joy Stick in the center console, the multifunction buttons of the steering wheel and also voice control.

All its 211 PS is sent by either a 6-speed AT or MT to an all-wheel drive system specifically developed by MINI called the ALL4. Power is distributed at continuously variable levels between the front and rear axle by means of an electromagnetic center differential and is available for all model variants of the MINI Paceman as an alternative to front-wheel drive.